EDGE: Making a Difference

EDGE

A degree from SUU prepares students for the 21st Century in distinctive ways. A focus on Education Designed to Give Experience (EDGE) means SUU graduates leave campus with a competitive advantage as candidates for employment or graduate school. Students align with an engagement center, gain practical experience, and produce a capstone project; all of this while working closely with faculty and staff committed to their success.

Program Overview

Experiential Education (as in “to experience something” outside the classroom) is a process to apply learning beyond the classroom. The EDGE Program contributes to a high-caliber education by allowing students a formal opportunity to create their own experiential learning project while developing a richer and more sophisticated understanding of honoring the merger of thought and action.

Preparing for, and completing, your EDGE Project is a process in which you can construct a hands-on learning project of your own and help decide how it advances your education. This process gives students a superior academic experience and is a requirement for graduation with a bachelor's degree. You can choose to connect your project to your major or you can pursue another area of interest.

The EDGE Program is a five-step process

Step 1 Complete UNIV 1010 Introduction to the EDGE Program

In this class you will not only be introduced to experiential learning and the EDGE Program, but you will get a chance to learn about five broad areas of an engaged education (creativity, community, global, outdoors, leadership). You will get a chance to briefly imagine project ideas for each of the five areas.

Step 2 Discover, Decide, and Declarean Experiential Education Project

Discover your project by using your imagination, curiosity, experience, passions, and academic interests to come up with a hands-on learning project that is uniquely your own.

Decide if you want to develop a project from scratch (called "Original Project Track") or you can design your own learning objectives within a pre-existing program/project (called "Select Project Track").

Declare your intent to do either an Original Track or Select Track project. Use the EDGE Tracker found in your MySUU Portal to make your declaration. Do this step only when you are ready.

Examples of Experiential Activities Would Include

Undergraduate Research

Internships

Service-Learning

Study Abroad

Individualized Learning

Entrepreneurship

Product Development/Enhancement

Developing Leadership Skills

Step 3 Do an Original Project Proposal in UNIV 3925 or Complete Your Select Project Application

If you choose to do an Original Track project, then complete UNIV 3925. In this class you will write and submit a proposal for your project idea. If you choose to do a Select Track project, then complete the application for that project outlining your learning objectives.

Step 4 Complete Your Project

Step 5 UNIV 4925/4930 Reflect On and Synthesize Your Project

If you completed an Original Track project register for UNIV 4925.

If you did a Select Track project then register for UNIV 4930.

In these classes you will reflect on your learning and organize your results in a way you can present and showcase your project to others.

Disclaimer: We ask students to learn independently outside of the traditional classroom setting. While SUU makes efforts to offer students safe opportunities, it is not possible to control or anticipate all factors in experiences related to facilities, environments, equipment and individual behaviors that may contribute to each student’s emotional, physical and social safety. Please exercise sound judgment and counsel with one of SUU’s Engagement Center directors if you would like assistance managing any issues or concerns that may arise.